big people

i know that most people struggle in some fashion with being a people pleaser. i also know that i may struggle with it more that most. i know what you are thinking.... you?! yes, me. i disguise it rather well....or at least i think i do. i have always feared the face of disappointment from others, be it parents, friends, spouse, or employer. i was/am a rule follower.... that being said, i also try to find the edges of those rules and live there.

well, a group of ladies and i decided to read this book and get together for discussion about it. we have been working through it since november....with a break in there for baby. there were times when i thought welch was getting a bit too psychological and then there were times when i didn't think he was psychological enough. of course, all of this is to be taken with a grain of salt since the man was attempting to smash my people idols. if there were to be a thesis for this book it would be two fold: first, god must be bigger to you than people are; second, we must need people less and love them more. wow! big stuff.

i had a considerable number of "ah ha" moments. one was that we don't move from wanting people to meet our needs to having jesus meet our needs. if we do that then jesus becomes our personal talisman. the goal is to move from "how can god fill my needs" to "how can i see christ as so glorious that i forget my needs." (page 233). of course he spends a great deal of time discussing what it actually means to have needs versus desires or lusts. too much for me to even summarize, but he does clarrify that we do have needs but it really boils down to "forgive us our debts." his final thoughts were what really made me appreciate the book in its entirety.... he specifically spells out our need for community (not the buzz word moving around today - but authentic real community - the kind we were built for). the kind where we move toward our enemies; we understand that there is a corporate image of god. 1 cor 3:16 - paul is saying that we are the tabernacle of god....the church. how cool is that. conclusion: fear god and keep his commands. tall order from a fumbling, drowsy saint such as i.

i have a lot to learn and i am glad that i am not doing it alone....and in fact am called to not do it alone!

Comments

Dave said…
Cool Kathy. Like it.
5:19 PM EDT
patti said…
my friend chuck berry has a saying..."When God smashes and idol it feels like death...but he is right there behind it."
7:41 PM EDT
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